Patti the "big dill" Pickle here, sharing tidbits of what you can look forward to at this year's Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Rae van Seenus, Marketing Director at Whole Foods Market Santa Barbara. Whole Foods Market is one of my favorite local grocery stores and one that I can always count on for my everyday fermentation needs. Whether you are a home fermenter looking for quality, organic ingredients to make your next batch of pickes and kombucha, or you just want to enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor, Whole Foods Market has you covered!

Patti the Pickle: Whole Foods is a pioneer in providing healing foods and fermented goods. What are the store's best-selling fermented foods?

Patti the Pickle: If you are a new customer to fermentation, which product[s] would you suggest that folks try to get started? What is your personal favorite? Any new lines customers should try?

I recommend people getting into fermented foods by starting with kraut and then trying kimchi. Getting into kimchi may not be that easy as it can be quite strong for some palates. My personal favorite is organic mellow white Miso because it can be used to make delicious fresh salad dressings. I’m also a kombucha fan and excited that our store will soon be serving local Conscious Kombucha on tap.

Patti the Pickle: The Buzz Hive at Whole Foods is a happening place! Explain the concept of creating this 19-person eatery and how it supports the local Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association (keeping those bees busy making fermented goodness!)

Watch the bees while you sip on local beer, wine, mead - and soon, local kombucha!

As an industry leader in natural and organic foods, Whole Foods Market is passionate about raising honey bee awareness, taking action and helping our community “bee the solution.” One out of every three bites of food is pollinated by bees and other pollinators. Our Store Team Leader and myself had wanted the bar venue to not only be a place to serve amazing local foods and drinks, but to also give back in a meaningful way. So with the help of a team vote, we came up with the concept of "The Buzz Hive" after speaking with Todd Bebb, President of the Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association, about installing beehives on our store’s rooftop.

A portion of the proceeds from the bar benefits SBBA on a monthly basis. Our partnership is the first of its kind for any Santa Barbara retailer as well as any Whole Foods Market store in our region. SBBA has mentored two of our Whole Foods Market Team Members on the process and maintenance of beekeeping and our beehives are thriving, so together it’s a win win.

Patti the Pickle: Whole Foods Market carries so many fermented foods, but Buzz Hive takes it a step further, allowing shoppers to sip on honey mead between shopping sprees. Tell us why you think mead is so popular and where you source your mead and the other on-tap, live fermented alcoholic beverages that patrons can try in the Buzz Hive.

According to our Beer Specialist, Alan Cain, mead can be made simply by diluting honey with water and adding yeast. I believe it is because of this simplicity that mead is thought to be the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world and was discovered serendipitously. That’s not to say there isn’t skill involved in making mead, because even though the general process is going to be the same, you can achieve a wide variety of different flavors and characteristics depending on the techniques and ingredients you use during production. Depending on the amount of honey used, a mead can be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet.

You can also add just about whatever you want to mead, and depending on what you add, the mead will take on a different name (mead blended with cider is known as cyser, mead with herbs or spices is known as metheglin, mead with fruit is melomel, etc). Whole Foods Market currently carries Redstone Meadery which is based in Colorado, Rabbit’s Foot Meadery which is based in Sunnyvale, CA, and Moonlight Meadery based in New Hampshire.

Patti the Pickle: How did you get involved in marketing at Whole Foods? Any fun events coming up in the Buzz Hive?

I am a native of Santa Barbara and have worked in several local arts, retail, and food focused establishments – I like to cook and I’m a strategic planner, so marketing at Whole Foods Market was a natural fit. I suppose it’s my passion for the creative process, vendor relation building, and the giving back to my community through event marketing that keeps me going. Whole Foods Market hired me two months prior to its grand opening in October, 2009 and I have stayed ever since. It’s been a wild ride, but I believe strongly in the quality of the products we sell and our company’s core values of serving and supporting our local and global communities.

Patti the Pickle: We are excited for your involvement at this year's festival. What can we look forward to?

Whole Foods Market is excited to come in at the “Master Fermenter” level and sponsor the ingredients used in the Festival’s food demonstrations at the Fermentation Station. In addition, we will have two booths: 1) featuring product samples from Bubbies and Wildbrine fermented foods (plus more brands to be confirmed); 2) featuring our custom blended ONE Wine Rose with Ampelos Vineyards, a wine blending partnership between local Tri-County wineries and Whole Foods Market.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT YOUR LOCAL BUZZ HIVE! HAPPY EATING!

Wine Flight in The Buzz Hive with QupeFriday, June 13th/ 5:00 – 7:00PM*Must be 21 or older; $5/flight

Share the Buzz! Free Screening of “More Than Honey” Documentary in The Buzz Hive Saturday, June 21st / 12:00PM

As an industry leader in natural and organic foods, Whole Foods Market is passionate about raising honey bee awareness, taking action and helping our communities “bee the solution.” Without bees, breakfast would be bland, lunch would be limited and dinner would be dismal. Bees pollinate more than 100 types of crops in the US, from the almonds in your granola to the berries atop your favorite dessert. Yet US honey bee colonies are declining at an annual rate of 30% or more. A percentage of the sales from The Buzz Hive benefits the Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association. Honey Tasting is complimentary; must be 21 or older for alcoholic drinks.

Wine Flight in The Buzz Hive with Trinitas CellarsFriday, June 21st / 2:00 – 4:00PM*Must be 21 or older; $5/flight

Wine Flight in The Buzz Hive with Classic WinesFriday, June 27th / 5:00 – 7:00PM*Must be 21 or older; $5/flight

When Rachel Hommel is not parading around town in her pickle suit, she can be spotted at the farmers market, practicing yoga, and dancing to the beet of life. She has written for Edible Magazine and the Santa Barbara Independent and is this year's press contact and festival staff member.